pax

Successful IT projects and organisations will be increasingly based upon the effective cooperation of various disciplines in the near future. This will be particularly so in the case of public sector projects. Modern states and their governments are confronted with new needs and rising expectations by the information society. Through the integration of digital resources, e-government attempts to master these challenges. However, many projects that have been initiated with much optimism have failed, often because they are too complex to be fully understood. Hitherto, it has been argued that a multidisciplinary approach leads to more egovernment projects being successfully completed. This master’s thesis identifies and discusses the problems that characterise egovernment projects as a result of a multidisciplinary project strategy having been implemented. The thesis furthermore suggests a method to deal with these issues successfully. Based on several project reports and seventeen interviews, the sociological notion of a ‘boundary object’ is applied to e-government. By bringing together disparate perspectives, it is argued that boundary objects are able to establish a common understanding among several actors. Moreover, it is suggested that they provide a means for developing solutions and can be used to ensure the efficient quality management of projects. This thesis therefore contends that beyond enabling multidisciplinary cooperation and coordination, boundary objects as a management tool are of central importance in steering projects. To gain a deeper understanding of boundary objects in e-government, their peculiarities and future potential are discussed on the basis of two case studies. The discussion also leads to further research questions being raised. Keywords: e-government, multidisciplinary research, boundary objects, information technology, project management.

Boundary Objects for E-Government

Boundary Objects for E-Government

actions